Hour of the Wolf

by Bell, Dana Marie

  None of them would regret it for a second.

  Chapter Nineteen

  “Home, sweet home,” Noah muttered. It was getting dark out, and he was starving.

  “I’m so tired I’m seeing double.” Iva yawned, stretching in the passenger seat. Her breasts strained against the material of her shirt. “And I’m so hungry I’m ready to eat your car.”

  Noah snorted out a laugh. “It might be a bit crunchy.”

  “Try explaining that one to your dentist.”

  “Or your proctologist.” Noah opened the door, delighted when she laughed. Things had been quiet and strained between them since leaving the doctor’s office. Noah was planning on putting guards on his mate whenever she was away from his side. She’d fight him on that one if she found out before he’d put his plans in motion, so he was going to do it without asking permission first. He’d apologize later...maybe. His mate’s safety came even before his own, and she’d just have to learn to deal with that.

  He opened the front door to the sound of the television and quiet murmuring in the background. Stepping into the living room he found the kids glued to the TV, both of them watching with wide eyes as a boy with a blue arrow on his bald head played with some alien furry creatures. He saw Frisco right by them, making comments on the show that had the kids either laughing or listening with interest. He really had gotten them to sit and watch the show. Noah had thought the subjects in the cartoon might be over Sana’s head but she was watching just as avidly as her brother was.

  Milo especially seemed to be fascinated by what he was seeing. One of the characters, named Katara, was doing tai chi motions, drawing water toward her and moving it around with her hands. His own started to move in front of him in an awkward attempt to copy what he was seeing.

  When Frisco saw Noah and Iva he waved. “Hey, guys.”

  “Uncle Noah!” Twin shouts were followed by two pairs of small arms wrapping around his waist. Milo spoke first. “We were watching Airbender with Uncle Frisco.”

  “Yeah!” Sana hopped up and down, which was odd considering she was still holding on to him. “It has a flying beast named Appa and a monkey named Momo and the girl is so pretty and I want a monkey too.”

  Noah blinked, unsure if Sana had even taken a breath. “No monkeys. You two are more than enough monkey for me.”

  Sana giggled, but Milo ignored them both. “I want to learn to waterbend like Katara.”

  Noah shot Frisco an aggrieved glance. “As long as you don’t try anything weird with the hose in the back yard.”

  Frisco chuckled. “Kids, come watch the show while I explain things to Uncle Noah, okay?”

  The kids ran off and Frisco joined Noah and Iva, following them into the kitchen. “Remember how I told you I was going to show them this?”

  Noah nodded. “Yeah, I do.” It was only that morning, after all. And he was familiar with the show. He’d watched it, and its sequel, enjoying the storyline and the art immensely.

  “I think learning tai chi or some other form of martial art will help Milo when his powers really begin to bloom.” Frisco took a seat at the counter. “It will help him learn focus and discipline, both of which he’ll need if he’s going to be as strong as I think he will.”

  “You mean he might take your job someday?” Noah said it jokingly, but the expression on Frisco’s face was solemn. The other man wasn’t fooling around. “Seriously?”

  Frisco nodded seriously. “I knew it the moment he was born, but Lily wanted him to have as normal a childhood as possible. She said the time for martial arts and focus would come when he was in puberty, but I disagreed. The sooner he learns focus the better. I don’t think she understood just how powerful he’ll eventually be.”

  Noah rubbed his forehead, his thoughts racing. “I’m not sure I want to go against Lily’s wishes, but if what you say is true then I have no choice but to agree.”

  Iva put her hand on his arm, her delicate fingers stroking his biceps. “I agree with Frisco too. Milo needs training sooner rather than later. Elementals who can’t control their powers are eventually controlled by them. He’ll be consumed by them or worse, he’ll unleash his powers and wind up creating a catastrophe. Let’s get him what he’ll need now while he’s still young enough to learn it.”

  Noah stared at her. The sincerity and concern in her gaze made his decision to go against Lily’s wishes that much easier. “Done.” He turned back to Frisco. “What do you recommend?”

  “Considering he’s already seen tai chi used to waterbend, I’d start with that.” Frisco stood, stretched, and headed for the front door. “They were fed and watered, by the way. All you need to do is the pajamas and toothbrushing routine.”

  “I owe them two stories each tonight.” Noah glanced toward the fridge, his stomach rumbling.

  “Why don’t I read to them tonight and you cook dinner?” Iva kissed his arm. “I’ll explain that you’re so hungry you’re about to go hunt rabbits.”

  “What? I like rabbits. They’re plump and juicy and let me chase them before I eat them.”

  Milo gagged. “Uncle Noah!”

  Sana merely nodded. “Rabbits are tasty.”

  “See?” Noah pointed to Sana. “She agrees with me.”

  Iva shook her head. “Okay, you two. I’ll read you a story each tonight, and Uncle Noah will do it tomorrow night. Tonight he’s gotta make my dinner.”

  Milo eyed her suspiciously. “Will you get cranky if you don’t eat?”

  Iva nodded solemnly. “Very cranky.”

  “Well then. Cranky is bad. Very cranky is very bad.” Milo grabbed his sister’s hand. “Uncle Noah, I’ll read to Sana tonight. You feed Aunt Iva.” He raced for the stairs, dragging his sister behind him. “Good night!”

  Those small feet made an awful amount of noise pounding on the steps.

  Noah was going to have a hard time pulling his jaw off the floor. Frisco was laughing his butt off as he headed out of the house, waving goodbye as he went. Iva was snickering, her hand over her mouth.

  “I guess that’s one way to put the kids to bed.” Noah shook his head. “What do you want for dinner?”

  She grinned wide, her expression hopeful. “Chicken nuggets?”

  Noah glared at her. “Real food.”

  That innocent expression wasn’t going to fool anyone, let alone an alpha prime. “Chicken nuggets are real food. They’re made from chicken.”

  He continued to glare at her, slowly reaching for a frying pan above his head. The woman needed to eat more than the horrors in fast food.

  She rolled her eyes. “Fine. Make something simple, because I can’t wait to eat.”

  “Two omelets coming up.” Noah put the pan on the stove and gathered his ingredients. His mate needed protein, but she also needed veggies and fruit. “Can you make toast?”

  She blinked. “Maybe?”

  He pointed the spatula at her. “Sit. Watch. Do not touch.”

  She saluted him saucily. “Aye aye, skipper.”

  He was aware of her gaze on him as he created two spinach and mushroom omelets. He got the toast going and grabbed some bowls for some cut fruit.

  “Looks like I’ll need to stock my fridge from now on.”

  He glanced up to find her smiling at him affectionately. For the first time in a very long time he blushed. “It’s not that huge a talent.”

  “It is when all you can manage to do is set a pot of water on fire.” She chuckled, seeming unconcerned that...

  Wait. What had she said? “That’s impossible.” His eyes widened when she merely nodded. “How the fuck did you accomplish that?”

  She shrugged as if it really wasn’t that big of a deal. “If I knew I wouldn’t have done it twice.”

  His brows rose. “Twice?”

  She pointed to the stove. “The eggs are burning.” />
  Noah got the omelet out of the pan. None of it was burned. If anything, it could have used a little more time to melt the cheese. He buttered the toast and put it on the plate along with the fresh fruit. He poured them both tall glasses of milk. “Ready to eat?”

  “Goddess, yes.” Iva dug in, moaning in a way that caused him a small problem in his pants. If she moaned like that again he was going to have a zipper imprint on his dick. “This is good. Thank you.”

  Noah took his seat beside her. “You’re welcome.”

  The happy expression dropped off her face. Her tone was low, tired, when she called his name. “Noah?”

  “Yes?”

  “Do you really think we’ll be able to defeat PB?” She pushed the eggs around on her plate listlessly. There were circles under her eyes, a testament to the hours she’d been putting in trying to figure out a way to get what the witches needed. “I don’t want to be possessed, but if we fail, the odds are good he’s going to try and get into me.”

  Noah wasn’t going to lie to her, even if it would make her feel better. “I think the dybbuk box might be our best bet to stop him permanently, but I’m not a witch so I’m not certain.”

  She nodded. “I think that’s why I’m so anxious. I like being sure.” She chuckled. “The Brain. Sometimes I think our ancestors went to Oz and visited the Wizard.”

  “In that case I’d say Greer got the nerve.” The Cowardly Lion quote was one of Noah’s favorites.

  “He’s definitely not a mouse,” Iva shot back, also quoting the Cowardly Lion’s song.

  “Nope, he’s no mouse, but he’s no lion either. I’d say he’s more of a jaguar, hunting silently and alone.”

  Iva’s smile became ethereal, her gaze distant as she gazed at something Noah couldn’t see. “No, he’s never alone. No dryad truly is. Our tree...” Her eyes went wide. “Holy fuck.”

  “What?” The startled expression on her face had him sitting up straight.

  “What if the voice is my tree?” She stared at him wide-eyed. “That would make so much sense.” Again, her gaze went blank, but the way she relaxed told him that whatever she was observing wasn’t unsettling her. “It’s not, but my tree still isn’t upset by whatever it is. In fact, it thinks I’m being silly about the whole thing.”

  “According to my doctor it’s healthy to worry when you’re hearing voices. Especially if you talk back to it.” Noah took a bit of Iva’s omelet onto his fork. He held it out to her. “Now eat before your tree decides to yell at both of us.”

  She made a weird face right before eating the bite he held out to her.

  “Something wrong?” Eventually she’d learn that he watched her like the wolf he was, cataloging each of her expressions until he could tell how she felt no matter how much she tried to hide it. And this expression had definitely caught his attention. It had a hint of both guilt and desire in it that intrigued him.

  “Um. Not really.” Iva accepted another bite he held out for her. He’d take care of her even if she didn’t notice. She swallowed hard before drinking a sip of milk. For some reason, she was stalling. “You mated me, right?”

  “Yes,” he drawled. He wasn’t going to like this.

  She eyed him from under the fall of her bangs. “I still need to mate you.”

  He gripped the fork so hard it bent. He did his best to keep his tone level. There was no way their mating was incomplete. “Excuse me?”

  She bit her lip. “There’s a dryad mating you still need to go through, and it starts with me officially introducing you to my tree.”

  Noah had no clue what the fuck she was talking about. None of the other dryad mates had mentioned it, not that he’d asked. He should have, but he’d been more concerned with Iva’s health than the dryad mating. “I know all about your tree, Iva.”

  “You only think you do.” Iva rolled her eyes when he fed her another bite. “I can eat on my own.”

  “If you’re not thinking too hard, sure you can.” He held up a bite of fruit. “But right now you’re freaking out over me meeting your tree.”

  She bit into the fruit, mumbling around the bite, “Not exactly.” When she swallowed she continued, eyeing him cautiously. “You need to meet it in the dryad way.”

  Something about the way she said that shut him right up.

  “I’ll take you to the Throne and ask my tree to accept you. If she does, then we’ll take the next step.”

  A chill went up his spine. “If she doesn’t?”

  She smiled. “I think she will, or she would have objected to your bite. She would have never accepted your mating me. But there’s always a chance that she won’t. And she’s staying silent on the subject.” She frowned. “I hate it when she does that.”

  Noah sighed in relief. “Listen.” He put the fork down and took hold of her hands. “I spent every day under your tree, either in wolf form or man, talking to you. Every single one of your friends encouraged me, saying my presence was helping both you and your tree. Whether your tree wanted me there or not, I was staying. And no matter what, you’re mine now.”

  She blinked. “But—”

  “No buts, sweetheart.” He turned her hand over and kissed her palm. “Wolves mate for life.” He planted a kiss on those sweet, succulent lips, enjoying the sweet taste of the fruit he’d fed her mixing with her own unique taste. It was a heady combination. “You’re not getting away from me that easily.”

  “Mm.” She leaned into him, her eyes still closed, and almost falling off the stool. He grabbed her around the waist and kept her seated. “Thanks.”

  “I’ll always do my best to catch you if you fall.” Noah cupped her cheek, smiling at the way she leaned in and rubbed her cheek against his palm. It was like petting a cat, all sensual and innocent at the same time. Her eyes hadn’t even opened when she almost fell, as if silently acknowledging she was safe with him. It made what he said next easier. “Mating might not mean insta-love, sweetheart, but I’m falling for you so hard I’m afraid of what I’ll find when I hit the bottom.”

  Her eyes opened, but she didn’t move. Her lips moved against his skin, her breath warm and moist. “Me too.”

  He smiled, staring down into a face that was becoming dearer to him with every passing moment. “Then we fall together?”

  She nodded, returning his smile. “I guess so.”

  It would have been embarrassing if anyone else had been there to observe how long he just sat there, staring at his mate. Finding her had been the best thing that ever happened to him. Then the images of exactly how he’d found her began to interfere with his glow. “We really need to bring PB down if we ever hope to have the peace I want for my family.”

  She grimaced, leaning away from him. The loss of contact left him cold. “I want to bring the kids to the Throne.”

  “I don’t have a problem with that, but why did the mention of Bradley make you think of that?”

  “I want them not only in my apartment, but I want them taught how to get in if there’s ever a battle in the forest or the town. Once I show it to Sana, she should be able to find it whenever she wants.” Iva began to eat again. The topic change apparently returned her appetite. “The kids can then lock themselves in and remain perfectly safe. Only those allowed by the Throne can gain access to the apartments, even if they have the codes.”

  He nodded, touched that she’d thought of their safety first. “I agree.”

  She eyed him sideways. “I also want them to spend the night there. They need to get used to being in the Throne.”

  He nodded. It was a given that they’d spent part of their time in his home and part in hers. Sleeping in her eclectic home would be no hardship for him. “Agreed.”

  “Before I introduce you to my tree.”

  His brows rose. “Why?”

  She laughed, the sound settling his wolf down. He hadn�
�t even realized his wolf was upset until just then. “Because when I introduce you, you’ll probably get knocked out. Almost all the mates of dryads do. I’ve been told that the magic that flows through that bond is...intense.”

  “Magic. That makes sense.” Dryads had unique magic that not even the witches understood. If this was part of it, he’d accept it easily. “You want the kids asleep, safe in the Throne, when your tree does its woo-woo stuff.”

  Iva giggled. “Woo-woo stuff?”

  “Iva.” Seriously. She didn’t need to laugh that hard.

  She patted his cheek. “You’re adorable, wolfman.”

  He shook his head, refusing to tell her how much that tickled him. “Eat your dinner, woman. I have plans tonight.”

  “Like sleeping? Please say sleeping.”

  “Dear God, yes.” Noah was ready to drop, and Iva was too. There was no way she could hide it from him. The scent of clean sheets and warm tea surrounded her. It was a good kind of tired, the best kind. She was relaxed, at ease, and safe. “Morpheus is calling and this wolf is ready to answer.”

  “So is this dryad.” She finished her food quickly, wolfing it down like the alpha mate she was.

  Noah followed suit. After all, he couldn’t let her out-wolf him. “Ready for bed?”

  She nodded wearily. “Please?” She lifted her arms like a child. “Carry me?”

  Noah bent and picked her up, surprising her if the squawk she emitted was anything to go by. “My lady.” He headed for the steps. “Your bed awaits.”

  She leaned her head against his chest, snuggling against him as he carried her to his room. He set her down on the sheets and pulled off her shoes. “Thank you, Noah,” she whispered, the words barely audible as her eyelids fluttered shut.

  Noah kissed her forehead. She was already out. “You’re welcome, Iva.” They had a lot of fighting still ahead of them. The possibility that PB could turn to his mate, inhabiting her body, made his blood run cold.

  He couldn’t—no, he wouldn’t—lose Iva.

  Chapter Twenty

  Iva led the way into the Throne, holding little Sana’s hand so that she wouldn’t be scared. They’d brought flashlights for the sake of the kids, but the lights messed with Iva’s sight more than they helped. The flashlights and the alpha stalking along next to them seemed to keep the kids calm.